WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – The clash continues over Texas’s push to pass a congressional map that helps Republicans win seats in the 2026 midterms. Both sides are digging their heels in. Texas Democrats are still out of state and Texas’s governor is pledging to call more special sessions until the map is approved.
Republicans have called on the FBI to track down and return Texas Democrats but they’re still out of state.
Indiana Democrats are standing with Texas Democrats who fled the state to avoid voting on a new congressional map that favors Republicans. It comes after Vice President JD Vance recently visited Indiana, as the White House eyes more red states to redistrict.
Top Democrats in Congress are praising the Texas lawmakers who left, calling for the party to take more actions, “…like those being taken by courageous Texas Democrats to block this gerrymandering scheme and this Republican effort to steal the midterm elections,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined Governor JB Pritzker in Illinois Wednesday where a group of the absent Democrats are staying while they stall a vote.
“Yes, folks, we are messing with Texas,” said Pritzker.
The new map drawn by Texas Republicans aims to add five more Republican-leaning seats to Congress.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said he’ll just keep calling special sessions until it passes and U.S. Senator John Cornyn is asking the DOJ to investigate anyone funding the Democrats, who face $500 daily fines for missing session.
“You can go to another city, another state, even another time zone, but you cannot escape your responsibility to the people of Texas. Eventually, you will be here,” said Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R).
Texas’s House Speaker said this week lawmakers will meet again Friday and if Democrats are still gone they plan to end the current session and start another one.
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